Weekend Roundup, June 30 – July 4
By • June 29, 2023 0 1219
Happy Independence Day weekend! We’ve got an extended weekend roundup with great activities in town for the next few days, as well as a few July 4 festivities thrown in. Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend!
May I Have This Dance… at the Georgetown Waterfront?
Dance at the Waterfront in a free weekly outdoor dance class with the Potomac as your backdrop. The event takes place Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. and is for all ages and skill levels, as a DJ will be on hand to spin an eclectic mix of tunes. More information on the event can be found here.
See Marisa Monte at Wolf Trap
Brazilian artist Marisa Monte will be appearing at Wolf Trap on Friday. She has captured audiences with songs like “Ainda Bem,” “Infinito Particular,” and “Vento Sardo” blending samba and Brazilian pop with a wide-ranging mastery. Monte is a four-time Grammy Award winner. Get tickets to the event here.
Marisa Monte. Courtesy Wolf Trap.
The DC Black Food & Wine Festival is Saturday
The DC Black Food & Wine Festival will be Saturday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. Enjoy flavors of Black-owned businesses, wine tastings, cooking demos and more. The event is picnic-style (bring your own lawn chairs and blankets) and tickets can be found here.
Courtesy DC Black Food & Wine Festival.
National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party Installation Opens
The National Building Museum is debuting its Summer Block Party installation, “Look Here,” on Saturday. The display, which will be up through Labor Day weekend, will include a constellation of mirrored fractals making for peaceful contemplation. The exhibit is by architect Suchi Reddy, who founded Reddymade Architecture and Design in 2002. More information on the installation can be found here.
The National Building Museum introduces its summer installation this weekend. Courtesy NBM.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival returns for its first of two weekends (the second being July 6 through 9). Each year the festival is an international exposition of living cultural heritage on the National Mall. Expect to see music, dance and poetry performances, cooking demonstrations, garden, game and craft workshops and narrative sessions. More information on the Folklife Festival can be found here.
Flashback: Athanasia (age 2), Stephen (14) and mom Hanna from D.C. learn falconry from Osha Almansoori of Abu Dhabi. Falconry is an ancient sport embodying values of endurance and patience. Photo by Jeff Malet.
National Portrait Gallery Presents “Duty, Honor, Country: Antebellum Portraits of West Pointers”
The National Portrait Gallery is currently showing an exhibit of pre-Civil War photographic portraiture of noteworthy people who trained at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The exhibit, called “Duty, Honor, Country: Antebellum Portraits of West Pointers,” features Ulysses S. Grant, George Armstrong Custer and Stonewall Jackson. More on the installation can be found here.
July 4th Events
“An American Celebration” at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon’s day-long July 4 celebration will celebrate our nation’s independence with George Washington himself. There will also be special made-for-daytime fireworks, musical performances, 18th century magic and a citizenship ceremony. More on the event can be found here.
Mount Vernon is hosting a daytime American Celebration in honor of the Fourth. Courtesy Mount Vernon.
Red, White and VUE Rooftop Experience
Celebrate the 4th with one of the greatest views in town. VUE, the rooftop bar at the top of the Hotel Washington, is holding a “Red, White and VUE” rooftop party featuring an open bar from 6 to 10 p.m. and a dinner buffet. More information on the event can be found here.
Courtesy VUE Rooftop DC.
A Capitol Fourth Celebration and National Independence Day Parade
The National Independence Day Parade begins the morning of July 4 at 11:45 a.m. See fife and drum corps, active military, colorful floats and more. Stick around for the Capitol Fourth Concert on the west lawn of the Capitol Building (performers include Chicago, Boyz II Men and Belinda Carlisle). Don’t miss the highlight of the day — the fireworks on the National Mall at nightfall. More information on the event can be found here.
Jynei of the Creekside High School Marching Band. (Fairburn Ga.) Photo by Jeff Malet.
The Fourth at the Wharf Celebration
The Wharf is celebrating with music, dancing and fireworks, offering a VIP fireworks viewing experience benefitting the USO with seasonal foods to get you in the patriotic spirit, like mini hot dogs, sliders and desserts. There are also plans for games, a raffle and a DJ playing festive tunes. More information on the event can be found here.
